St. Albans was the East Coast
referral center for respiratory disorders in the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Naval
Hospital at St. Albans was established in the early 1940s on a former golf
course in the Borough of Queens to serve the U.S. military and expand services
that were previously centered at the U.S. Naval Hospital in the Brooklyn Navy
Yard.

Margaret Chase Smith, United States Senator

From
1948 to 1973, Margaret Chase Smith served in the Senate. Among her many positive
works, she made it possible for members of the military who had contracted
tuberculosis as a result of their service to receive disability benefits, even
if their illness was not diagnosed while on active duty.

Tuberculosis Ward

For two years, beginning in 1947, Gene Jenkins
was a patient at St. Albans for tuberculosis. He acquired the disease while
serving on a ship in the Mediterranean Ocean during World War II. During his time on the ward, he
and his fellow patients became close friends, participating in shows they put
on themselves as well as enjoying shows put on by professional performers such
as Jack Benny.

Streptomycin Trials

St. Albans was the site of some of the first
clinical trials of Streptomycin as a treatment for tuberculosis. At first, the
dosages were too high, causing deafness in some of the patients.